[thepostman]

once again people started having unrealistic expectations after wake.

Why do people do this to themselves?

I hate losing these close games, but it is what I expected coming into the season. If this is still happening in a couple of years we have real problems

[TH Spangler]

I agree Purple and thepostman, I resemble that remark ... Couple thoughts this morning. The Boyd injury seem to effect momentum. We looked a little flat after that. My biggest disappointment overall was watching Wake beat UNC on my Yahoo ticker .... and us struggling with NS at home? We looked like a different team this week? Hopefully as the season progresses we'll find out NS is a top ten program? Last night was the largest 15,826 I've ever seen at Williams? Looked more like 18+ to me. The student side was full ... and for 4 quarters..... club level is starting to fill up, becoming more vocal also! .... BEAT MONTANA!

[Purple Haize]

Land by more vocal you mean people yelling for the caterer to refill the food troughs ha

[jbock13]

I agree Spangler. 15k just didnt seem right. The students were spilling over to the baptist side, and I was pretty much squished in.

At least Haize can't accuse us of fudging attendance numbers anymore

As for expectations, sorry, but Norfolk State is not that great of team. It should have been a win.

[TH Spangler]

It's getting pretty rowdy on level 3! We miss Manson though .......

[JK37]

Bingo, jbock. I think lag night may have been less fudged than usual. For years, our eyes may have been tricked by the amount of chocolate we were fed.

[jcmanson]

0-4

[JK37]

Anyone else notice a change in the music being played at last night's game?

Also, what was up with that team entrance? Seemed like some sort of glitch during 2001, but the video that was shown prior to the entrance: I don't get all the use of students at the beginning of it, like trying to have some storyline to it. Then it ends with a quiet close shot of a guy's eyes? Totally not getting it. It seemed to drain energy as much as anything. Don't tell me a story: just make it loud with football highlights synched to good upbeat music. Go to the FBS and BCS level schools, and they do it right!

[jbock13]

I agree with the pregame entrance JK. It made no sense to me whatsoever, and was completely dry.

[El Scorcho]

If I recall correctly, they had just as many penalties.

Yeah, I noticed that. I didn't bring it up though because my point with the penalties was about more than this particular game. It was more about where this team is at in terms of discipline/maturity than it was about the outcome of this particular game.

[TH Spangler]

I agree with the pregame entrance JK. It made no sense to me whatsoever, and was completely dry.

Timing was a little off also ... it seem to get started late. Then they had to rush it.

[logic]

once again people started having unrealistic expectations after wake.

Why do people do this to themselves?

I hate losing these close games, but it is what I expected coming into the season. If this is still happening in a couple of years we have real problems

Sorry, but this is a problem. No, actually I am not sorry. If not this team, who? If not now, when? Go ahead, keep your expectations low as to not disappoint yourself and see where that gets you in 5 years. The great men in history did not and do not think this way. Expect to win, every game. That is why you play.

Yours is an awful, awful attitude and as fans of this program/university we should NEVER lower our expectations. Do Alabama fans lower their expectations? Even the arguably delusional Notre Dame fans for the past 15 years have gone into each season expecting to win.

We have enough talent on this team to be 2-0 right now and we should EXPECT that as fans, not lower our expectations as to not "do this to ourselves" as we wait for "a couple years years from now."

[thepostman]

Yes, comparing us to Alabama and Notre Dame is just so logical. You need to just change your name

If in 2 years we are still at this same point then I will start getting upset. You have to give a new staff some time. Success will not happen over night.

I do know if Rocco was still here we would've lost by 2 Touchdowns...easily

[thepostman]

also logic I was probably one of the most critical people on this board with our lack of performance last year.

Last year was our year and our coaching staff screwed it up. We lost our chance...

A new staff is in and we have to lower expectation for a year or 2. That is how it works, especially when we are at the level we are. If you can't see that logic then thats fine, but you aren't going to get me to agree with you

[jbock13]

Logic, I have some unicorns for sale if you're interested.

[logic]

I am in full support of the coaching staff, the AD, the Chancellor, Etc. My concern is with people like YOU. Do you think any of the aforementioned folks LOWERED their expectations coming into this season? Do you think Turner Gill, Jeff Barber, or JLFJR lowered their expectations coming into this season? Again, these men are great leaders and DO NOT ascend to positions like theirs by lowering expectations!!

Yes, comparing us to Alabama and Notre Dame is just so logical. You need to just change your name

Should we not expect to win every game on our schedule like Alabama does? If no, why not? Why even bother to hop on the plane to Montana if we don't expect to win? I am not saying we should expect to win a BCS National title ever year like 'bama fans do, because we aren't an FBS program....I am simply saying Alabama fans NEVER lower their expectations and if we want to be a great program we cannot lower ours either.

If in 2 years we are still at this same point then I will start getting upset. You have to give a new staff some time. Success will not happen over night.

New staff, old staff, doesn't matter, THEY expect to win every game and you should too. Don't make excuses for them as they don't make excuses for themselves. The coaches WANT our fans to expect to win every game. "That's why they take the dang field" - Dennis Green.

A new staff is in and we have to lower expectation for a year or 2. That is how it works, especially when we are at the level we are. If you can't see that logic then thats fine, but you aren't going to get me to agree with you

This is absurd. By your own admission we have a BETTER staff than last year, so why are we LOWERING expectations?? We have to lower expectations? That is how it works? Really? Where does that work?? This is a garbage attitude for garbage programs and has no place among Flame Fans or this University. "If it's Christian it ought to be better" didn't come along with the exception that we lower expectations for any reason whatsoever, at any point.

I'm sorry, but you sound pathetic, like a 5th grader who just lost a playground kickball game and said to your buddy -

"It's ok Jimmy, the other team was all 6th graders, they're supposed to beat us."


TGill was the 5th grader who beat the 6th graders. He and his staff expect to win every game as they should. It is what the great men and great leaders do - expect to win. Do not lower your expectations. They want you to have high expectations. It fuels them and motivates them to achieve. No coach wants to be involved with a university where the fan base has low expectations and "expects to lose close games."

[jinxy]

Fogg, Aldreakis, Kelly, (Chima Uze???? spelling) were really the only guys that stood out last night. Everyone else was just kinda there. Walt got absolutely embarassed in the open field on the run in the first half. Still expecting more from him, he's good but he's not a shut down corner like we envisioned. I believe this is twice in a row we've looked like the better team and lost, thats not a good sign to me.

[Purple Haize]

Logic this is where you show your lack of understanding how to build programs and teams. Look at any great coach and program. How many started out on top? How many we're built over years? Your attitude is actually the one that needs to be changed. You EXPECT it but you don't prepare to DESERVE it and TAKE it. It's the'We are Liberty with this great big budget so we should win'. We are no more different and no more special then any other college athletic team that wants to be great. We have to work hard and EARN it.

[Purple Haize]

Y'all already know I'm critical. So take this analysis with a grain of salt, and I've had 12 hours to calm down.

Seriously, that might have been the most frustrating loss I've seen yet for this team.


Finally, I think it's these games that are most discouraging. We will never be taken seriously until we beat in state teams. We get the respect we deserve, which is a tough pill to swallow.

I believe Gill will get us there, but it's obvious that Rocco's prints are still on the team.

Inspired performance by Pat Kelly, Fogg, and Aldrekis. Those were the bright spots.

You realize that this is only the 2nd game for this team

I agree with the rest

[Hold My Own]

I love how our defense is playing. Smack you in the mouth football...always fun to watch #8 cracked bones on two plays in a row in the 2 half

[flameslinger]

Got in at 11:00 pm, checked scores, and went to bed. I felt a little kicked in the gut after that second half and ending, so sleeping on it helped with perspective. My thoughts:

1. It still hurt. Yeah, I know much is new this year and it takes time to build with a new staff, blah, blah, blah... This is all true and reasonable, but I still expected us to win, especially with so many opportunities.

2. Atmosphere was good. As stated, that was a big 15,000. From where I sat I expected at least 17,000. Students are rockin'. Baptist side needs to get louder. Intro may be trying to do too much.

3. Kevin Fogg is the main reason this was even close.

4. Aldreakis Allen looked good. I think our run game has real potential to be half of a very good offense.

5. Pass game sputtered. A. Do we not have a receiver that can catch up to Hudson's long ball? B. Pass play calling seemed to too conservative.

6. Defense - Secondary can still close in and make tackles in a hurry. That was a bright spot. Failed to stop them on way too many third and long situations. Much improvement needed before Stony Brook

7. Praying for Boyd. These kinds of things can be hard on a young man's heart and mind, not just his body.

... my mind is keeping perspective, but the loss still hurt.

[Spartan Ghost]

Greetings Flames.

I just want to thank you for a great gameday atmosphere. Your student section is electric!! Love the first down chant. That was a great game, one of the best NSU games I've seen in my 15 years of watching NSU football. Good luck on the rest of your season, you guys have some great talent. I know things look bad, but there is a lot of football left in the season.


BEHOLD!!!

[Chris Lang]

Sunday blog wrap:

http://www2.newsadvance.com/sports/2012 ... r-2191229/

[Equinox]

The reality is that due to the near win against Wake Forest, the players looked past Norfolk State, towards Montana and got “waxed”. This should have been a win for the Flames, but when the defense isn’t tackling and players are not aware of their assignments (both sides of the ball) this will happen. Allen played a great game and I believe secured the #1 running back position (hopefully for the season). It was commendable that Gill physically showed up for the game but was he there mentally and would the result be the same if Torbush finished what he was allowed to start and someone else, other than Coach Gill was allowed to call the offensive plays. Shoulda, coulda, woulda…bottom-line the game is in the history books and its on to Montana I have a funny feeling that next week a more positive game than the recent one.

[logic]

Logic this is where you show your lack of understanding how to build programs and teams. Look at any great coach and program. How many started out on top? How many we're built over years? Your attitude is actually the one that needs to be changed. You EXPECT it but you don't prepare to DESERVE it and TAKE it. It's the'We are Liberty with this great big budget so we should win'. We are no more different and no more special then any other college athletic team that wants to be great. We have to work hard and EARN it.

I think you are confusing the outcome of the game with my thoughts on Postman's attitude towards said outcome. We lost two very close games to Wake Forest and Norfolk State. I am not so much upset with the outcome of the games than the fact that he expected us to lose them. Again I will spell it out for you. I am not upset we lost, I am upset that postman expected us to lose. What kind of fan expects to lose? Losers expect to lose!

Please, do not lecture me about building programs. Programs, like universities and businesses, are built on a lot of things including high expectations. I can promise you Coach Gill, Jeff Barber, and Jerry Falwell Jr. all have high expectations and are building this way. Our fans should do the same.

Again what kind of coach or football team wants to play in front of fans that expect them to lose?

Hogwash!